Business Insurance

Turkey quake designated as catastrophe: PCS

U.S.-based data analytics firm Verisk Analytics Inc.'s unit Property Claim Services Inc. has designated the 7.0-magnitude earthquake, which shook the Turkish region of Izmir on Oct. 30, as a catastrophe.

Posted: Nov 05, 2020

Pandemic, catastrophes hit insurers' profit

A report by Australia-based analytics consulting firm Finity Consulting Pty. Ltd. said that the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters and tumultuous financial markets have hit the local insurance industry's profitability hard.

Posted: Nov 05, 2020

Typhoon causes $120 million infrastructure damage

Super Typhoon Rolly that hit the Philippines on Nov. 1 has caused 5.8 billion Philippine pesos ($120 million) worth of infrastructure damage.

Posted: Nov 05, 2020

Lloyd’s reinsurance broker to buy South African counterpart

Lloyd's reinsurance broker MNK Re Ltd. is set to acquire a majority stake in South African counterpart Prospect Brokers Africa (Pty.) Ltd.

Posted: Nov 05, 2020

Pandemic unlikely to significantly impact nonlife insurers

A report by U.S.-based A.M. Best Co. Inc. said that the COVID-19 pandemic is unlikely to have a significant impact on the underwriting performance of Japan's nonlife insurers over the short to medium-term.

Posted: Nov 05, 2020

Lloyd's limits operations of underwriting room

Lloyd's of London plans to limit the operations of its underwriting room in response to the second lockdown, which begins on Nov. 5 and will last until Dec. 2.

Posted: Nov 05, 2020

Hurricane Zeta onshore insured losses estimated at $3B to $5B

Total onshore U.S. insured losses from Hurricane Zeta are estimated to be between $3 billion and $5 billion, according to Newark, California-based catastrophe modeler Risk Management Solutions Inc.

Posted: Nov 04, 2020

Worker not entitled to supplemental benefits for eye injury

A man who lost sight in one eye in a workplace accident failed to show that he should be entitled to supplemental earnings benefits, an appellate court held Thursday.

Posted: Nov 04, 2020

California comp division increases disability rates for 2021

The California Division of Workers Compensation announced Tuesday that minimum and maximum temporary total disability rates will increase Jan. 1, 2021.

Posted: Nov 04, 2020

SEC awards $28M to whistleblower

The Securities and Exchange Commission said Tuesday it has awarded more than $28 million to a whistleblower whose information led to successful enforcement action.

Posted: Nov 04, 2020

Axis Insurance adds several U.S. cyber and tech underwriters

Axis Insurance, the specialty insurance unit of Axis Capital Holdings Ltd., has added three lead underwriters to its U.S. cyber and technology team, Pembroke, Bermuda-based Axis Capital said in a statement Wednesday.

Posted: Nov 04, 2020

Hub buys specialist agribusiness brokerage

Hub International Ltd. has bought Stalco Insurance Ltd., a Canadian broker that specializes in the agricultural insurance sector.

Posted: Nov 04, 2020

Review commission affirms repeat fall protection violation

An administrative law judge of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission on Tuesday affirmed a repeat citation issued to a construction company for failing to provide fall protection to a worker.

Posted: Nov 04, 2020

Insurance scam major plot of forthcoming star-packed film

Two movie producers in trouble with mob debt cast an elderly actor in an action-packed film and aim to accidentally kill him in a film stunt, all to collect insurance money.

Posted: Nov 04, 2020

J&J fails to overturn $2.12B baby powder verdict

Missouri’s highest court on Tuesday refused to consider Johnson & Johnson’s appeal of a $2.12 billion damages award to women who blamed their ovarian cancer on asbestos in its baby powder and other talc products.

Posted: Nov 04, 2020

Insurer leaks private data of 1 million customers

Swedish insurer Folksam AB has accidentally leaked private data of around one million customers to technology firms.

Posted: Nov 04, 2020

Mapfre's premiums fall nearly 12% due to pandemic

Spain-based insurer Mapfre SA's premiums slid nearly 12% year-over-year to €15.6 billion ($18.2 billion) in the first nine months of 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Posted: Nov 04, 2020

Indian insurers pay $89 million for plane crash

Indian insurers have paid a compensation of 6.6 billion Indian rupees ($89 million) for damage to an Air India Express plane that crashed in August.

Posted: Nov 04, 2020

Omani insurer to merge with Saudi counterpart

Oman-based Al-Ahlia Insurance Co.'s shareholders have approved its merger with Saudi Arabia-based Gulf Union Cooperative Insurance Co.

Posted: Nov 04, 2020

Natural gas firm's executives arrested for negligence

Dominican Republic-based natural gas supplier Coopegas' key executives have been arrested for negligence that led to an explosion at its propane station in Licey, in October.

Posted: Nov 04, 2020

Croatian insurer's premiums fall 4%

Insurer Croatia osiguranje dd's overall gross written premiums fell 4% year-on-year to 2.6 billion Croatian kuna ($400 million) in the first nine months of 2020.

Posted: Nov 04, 2020

Hurricane ravages Nicaragua

Hurricane Eta hit Nicaragua near the port of Puerto Cabezas on Nov. 3 and caused widespread damage.

Posted: Nov 04, 2020

VIG acquires Latvian insurer

Austria-based Vienna Insurance Group AG has purchased Latvia-based BTA Baltic Insurance Co. AAS.

Posted: Nov 04, 2020

Top 10 Off Beats from October

October’s most popular Off Beat story featured the possible king of all bizarre insurance commercials. A story on a police chief moonlighting as a pinup model was No. 2 for page views for the month.

Posted: Nov 04, 2020